JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A suspected illegal gold mining ringleader escaped from custody with help from police officers about a week after resurfacing from a disused mine in South Africa where 246 survivors were rescued and 78 bodies were retrieved last week, authorities said Monday.
Police said that the suspect, identified as Lesotho national James Neo Tshoaeli, was among the miners who resurfaced but was never booked by officers at police stations where survivors were taken. An investigation was underway into who helped him flee.
Tshoaeli, whose is also known as “Tiger,” is allegedly responsible for some deaths, assault and torture that are purported to have taken place underground, police said. Authorities have evidence of his involvement from survivors' witness accounts and video footage, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said. Tshoaeli is also alleged to have hoarded and kept food away from other illegal miners, police said.
“Extensive investigations and tracing operations are underway to find those officials who aided his escape between Shaft 11 and the Stilfontein police holding cells,” police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said. “According to records, Tiger was never booked into various other stations where some illegal miners are being kept. Tiger is also not admitted at a local hospital for further medical care.”
Since the operation started at the gold mine in Stilfontein in August, a total of nearly 2,000 illegal miners and 87 bodies have resurfaced from underground.
Accounts from illegal miners who spoke to The Associated Press have revealed that hundreds of miners faced starvation, hunger and illnesses after their supplies were cut off by police.
The rescue operation was called off last week after mine rescue officials and volunteers helping to retrieve the miners and bodies said that there were no more survivors or corpses underground. Cameras and motion detection equipment were also used to determine this.
However, some community members and organizations have raised concerns that there may still be more bodies underground at a different shaft.
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